Gen. Huang Shao-hung, Chairman' of the Chekiang Provincial Council, paid a brief visit to Huchow recently to inspect the training corps, recruited last spring from city. shopkeepers and clerks. After several months of drilling, the corps, parading on the Public Recreation Ground, made a very ble appearance to an outsider, but the General was "not extravagant in. commendation, implying indeed that as a body they would pass inspection only "by the akin of their teeth.'
Giving the men much sound advice. the General, among other things, said that Huchow.has been known in Chekiang as a city whose people were devoted to literary pursuits, They naturally liked "books and looked with distrust upon soldiers. This attitude with all other sluggish habits must be changed, he said, for China had suffered many aggressions from foreign countries which had despised her as a land whose people were as disunited as scattered sand. Now China was. becoming—unified and It was needful that the exclusive study of books should be given up, 0 that attention could be given to the practice of arms. Every man, except cripples and criminals. must Team how to do a soldier's duly and. be ready at all times to defend his native land.
'The Hushe, an organization of Huchow men no matter where residing, has sent a telegram to the provincial authorities urging them' to take measures to put toon end the scourge of banditry that is now devastating wide regions of country not far from Huchow. A body of audits, said to number at least, 400 men has taken possession of the hills near Hslaofeng, a town 70 or 80 It southwest of this city. They are well armed and maintain almost military organization.
All well-to-do families have left of are daily Jeaving the towns and villages anywhere near the bandit headquarters and are taking refuge' in Huchow or some large town which Is well defended. So great and 50] irrational are the cruelties practised by the bandits that even the poorer people have fled in such numbers that many a formerly well-populated countryside is now practically stripped of inhabitants.
Huchow; in general alert to keep step with neighbouring cities adopting. approved modern measures and devices, and in several instances even surpassing larger and richer cities, has neglected one very important adjunct of progress. The transmission of mails from Shanghai to Huchow, for instance. is still in, what in America is called "the horeeand-bogey age." Twenty years ago the mails for Huchow leaving Shang hal before noon would be delivered in. Huchow at any time from 10 am. to @ pin. of the next day.
Now when people are regularly making the trip from Shanghai to this city in six hours, the mails still require 34 hours or more to reach their ultimate destination. Time and again, Indeed, it has been 48 hours. before were received.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.